At the recent Transport User Group Meeting the Railway Police representative said that there had been a surge of bike thefts from Teddington Station. The Bike Hub seems to be the most secure option with effective CCTV acting as deterrent.

Hounslow are consulting on proposals to improve the existing cycle route.

Our Response :

This is a useful N-S link suitable for all cyclists that has recently been considerably improved by the removal of through traffic from the Church Street area.

Regarding the current proposals for improvement :

1) Ivy Bridge to South Street :

Whilst the current speed humps could certainly be improved it seems a pity that the route continues to rely on them. A permeable road closure between Dawes Avenue and Napier Road would remove through motor traffic whilst allowing vehicular access to all properties.

2) South Street

This is currently the busiest section and we can see the need for changes. Nevertheless shared use of even a widened footway beside a carriageway is sub-optimal and risks conflict. A discrete cycle track would be a better solution.

3) Syon Park

Some sensible adjustments.

It is strongly to be hoped that the 4 gate chicane that has recently appeared will be removed ( it does not seem to be marked on the plans) The chicane is highly discriminatory towards less able cyclists using wider vehicles and is totally unacceptable.

Overall we are happy with the ambition to improve a valuable route but feel that some approaches are less than ideal.

Burtons Road has long been an important route for cyclists enabling them to avoid the busy Park Road. Unfortunately has a long history of rat-running which has been aggravated by the use of sat-navs. Due to the narrowness of parts of the road that can make cycling effectively impossible at peak times. Road humps have been deployed to reduce speeds and there have been previous failed attempts to filter out through traffic.

The current proposals for two road closures and a one-way section should be enough to frustrate determined rat-runners whilst allowing vehicular access. That will return Burtons Road to being a pleasant place to walk and cycle at all times and should encourage a shift to active travel in accord with the mayor’s policies. This will be all the more important in the light of the decision to move Turing House School to Heathfield. It does seem to have local support and

RCC is thoroughly in favour.

Could we also note that the shared use section enabling cycle use of the informal crossing of Uxbridge Road at the end of Burtons road is marked by corrugated paving alone ;signage was never installed. Perhaps some signs might be erected as part of the proposed works.

Burtons Road has long been recognised as a generally cycle-friendly alternative to Park Road / Uxbridge Road but is plagued by rat-running at peak hours. Several traffic-removal schemes have been rejected as risking diverting traffic into other narrow roads.

The map below (based on Open Cycle Map) suggests how two filters (red) one straight across and one diagonal could allow vehicular access whilst blocking rat-running.

Solid blue lines are important road links whilst the hashed lines are tracks used by cyclists with some difficulties.The railway path is narrow and overgrown

whilst the path at the west end has narrow gates.

Neither has cycling forbidden (the railway track is labelled footpath at one end but that doesn’t make cycling illegal). Some improvement would be needed to make them useful for all.

Green circles are existing toucan crossings whilst the orange ones are where a crossing is needed.There is a ramped bridge to cross the A316.

The numerous schools are shown by magenta circles whilst Fulwell Station is the nearest railway. ( a segregated track along Wellington Rd would shorten some journeys but that is a future ambition).